Skin injuries have only recently been recognized as serious health problems. Damage to the protective, skin layer of a living body has conventionally been regarded as superficial, and not serious. However, such surface injury leads to loss of vital body fluid by evaporation, which can initiate a series of changes in body functions that are difficult to restore immediately. In addition, skin damage may permit the invasion of the underlying body tissues by harmful microorganisms. When body fluids evaporate from a skin damage site, e.g. a wound site, a layer of scale will form at the site, which delays the healing process and the formation of new tissue.